The present invention relates to diagnostic/prognostic techniques, and more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to diagnostic and/or prognostic systems for machines, where the systems include sensors that communicate information through wireless transponders.
As machines become more sophisticated, the desire has grown for techniques to determine and/or predict machine failures in a more cost-effective manner. The condition-based maintenance approach of on-board diagnostics and prognostics can substantially reduce the life-cycle costs of owning and operating machines. However, retrofitting existing machines with sensors required for on-board diagnostics and prognostics is often impractical due in large measure to the cost and complexity of installing the necessary wiring and wiring harnesses. Thus, there is an ongoing need for further contributions in this area of technology.
Present diagnostic and prognostic systems and methods suffer from limitations in ease, cost, and flexibility of installation. There is thus a need for further contributions and improvements to sensor system technology.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for retrieving and processing sensor data regarding the operation of the machine. This object and others are achieved by various forms of the present invention.
One embodiment of the present invention is a unique technique for providing diagnostics and/or prognostics for a machine. Other embodiments include unique diagnostic/prognostic systems, apparatus, and methods for machinery.
A further embodiment includes a system for performing diagnostics and prognostics on a machine, especially a mobile or remotely located machine. The system comprises one or more wireless sensors forming a network with one or more sensor interrogators, data concentrators, and/or processing nodes, and a way to communicate the resulting data from the machine to an operator or an automated monitor. This system is arranged to measure operational parameters of the machine with the sensors, where such parameters might include temperature, pressure, vibration, and/or fluid quality, to name just a few. This information stream is relayed to the data concentrator, and analyzed by a processing node to trend certain parameters or sets of parameters. The information stream and resulting trends are used to make predictions as to remaining useful life of machine components, fluids, etc. In one form of this embodiment, the machine is a vehicle.
A still further embodiment includes a diagnostic/prognostic system with one or more sensors, a number of wireless transponders (semi-passive, semi-active, and/or active radio frequency (RF) tags) coupled to the sensors, and one or more data collection devices. The one or more data collection devices interrogate the transponders to obtain information about the operation of the vehicle or other machine instrumented with the sensors. By virtue of this wireless technology, sensor networks can be installed on the machine after-market without the need for installation of complex and expensive wiring harnesses. As an alternative or in addition to such retrofits, the system can be configured for new or different applications and upgraded as necessary by installing the required sensors and their associated transponders.
In another aspect of the invention, an interrogator wirelessly sends an interrogation signal to a sensor tag. The sensor tag reflects the interrogation signal using backscatter techniques so that the reflected signal indicates a value of an vehicle operating parameter. The interrogator communicates the parameter(s) to a processor, which analyzes the information to make diagnostic and/or prognostic determinations related to the vehicle.